Asking Your Teacher for an Extension: What Not to Say
Teachers love nothing better than to be approached with an excuse instead of a completed assignment. Grading your late assignment will be a fun way for them to spend their Sunday afternoon…not.
You can ask your teacher for an extension in many different ways, but there are only two possible answers: yes or no. Are you hearing a whole lot of no? If you’re using any of the below approaches, there’s a simple explanation. What you say and what your teacher hears are not the same. Here’s what you say…and what your teacher hears.
What You Say:
I was totally swamped with my other schoolwork.
What Your Teacher Hears:
This class is less important to me than all my other classes.
What You Say:
You gave my friend an extension.
What Your Teacher Hears:
I’ll do anything to avoid trying my personal best.
What You Say:
My aunt was in the hospital.
What Your Teacher Hears:
I’m about to use emotional blackmail to get out of being a responsible adult.
What You Say:
You didn’t remind us it was due.
What Your Teacher Hears:
I’m too lazy to write down deadlines.
What You Say:
The instructions didn’t make sense.
What Your Teacher Hears:
I didn’t bother to read the instructions until the night before the deadline.
What You Say:
I thought we could hand it in at the end of the semester.
What Your Teacher Hears:
I’ve created a fantasy world where I make up the rules to suit me.
If you really want that extension, here’s the secret. Don’t waste your energy coming up with an elaborate excuse for why you didn’t do it in the first place. Instead, be ready to tell your teacher when you’ll have it completed. “Tomorrow by eight am,” usually wins you the nod of approval faster than, “Um, whenever I get around to it?” With any luck, you’ll not only score the extension, you’ll even pull off an A.
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